His Frankenstein monster

‘Welcome late-comer’ he said, turning over to face me. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just that I have to make sure everyone is in bed, everything door is locked, every safety measure observed. Being a mother is such hard work.’ I joked.‘I know, but I don’t think being a wife is any less hard.’ He observed with […]

‘Welcome late-comer’ he said, turning over to face me.
‘I’m sorry, it’s just that I have to make sure everyone is in bed, everything door is locked, every safety measure observed. Being a mother is such hard work.’ I joked.
‘I know, but I don’t think being a wife is any less hard.’ He observed with a smile. ‘Incidentally is there anything bad I can do that you will find it hard to forgive me even on my death-bed?’ He asked. I was so shocked y the comment that for a while I just looked at him. Then the humorist in me took over and I said:
‘Let’s reach your death-bed first then we shall see.’ I answered with a smile.
‘This is serious Bint, I really want to know.’ He insisted.
‘Well whatever it is by the time I see you dying I will surely be moved to forgive you.‘ I replied.
‘Thank God, this is reassuring.’ Tahir said with obvious relief.
‘But why is it suddenly so important for you to know whether I will forgive you, at death-point, in the middle of the night?’ i enquired.
‘You know I went back to the hospital to see Iliya today. Yesterday he begged me to return at 10am today because that’s usually the time Sajah, his Lebanese-born wife, goes home to rest. I went and he told me that he wanted to entrust me with certain tasks that he cannot undertake now in his present state. He kept saying that he had to do all he can to make it up to Mariya before he dies, even though he can’t hope for her forgiveness. He vowed that he will definitely try to make sure he left her in a life of ease and comfort.’ Tahir explained.
‘Did he really say that? Well I am glad he realised the gravity of what he did.’ I observed.
‘You mean you know about it?’ he asked.
‘Yes Mariya dropped a hint or two the day I visited her after seeing him at the hospital.’ I explained.
‘Then you better advise her to forgive him because Iliya is having nightmares over the incident. I have never seen a dying man so agonised by his past. I mean usually a man in such poor health will be pre-occupied with his illness but Iliya is just worried about righting the wrongs he did. I just couldn’t understand it.’ Tahir wondered.
‘Well the good news is I have already advised her to forgive him, I have told her not to wait for him to ask.’ I disclosed.
‘That’s a relief because it will really make a huge difference to him if she did. I mean here is a man who said he is turning over all his wealth to her so that she can be in luxury as long as she lives and yet he feels too afraid to ask her for forgiveness. I had to remind him that in Islam he can’t turn over all his wealth to one person when others are also entitled to inherit his estate. But he told me that being without parents, his only inheritors are his wives and children, and that Sajah had already taken her share. I was too shocked by the statement that I had to ask how she took her share and he said:
‘She forced me to buy her a house in her country’s capital Beirut then recently she insisted on another one in Dubai. I rejected the idea but she kept pestering me until I gave in. Both buildings are in her name. I don’t know what else she has, I just know that in the last several years I was giving her everything she wanted. She will make the most outrageous demands but I will give without question. For instance we used to go for family holidays only once a year but she insisted that they had to be twice, the second one to her home country and I agreed, then she demanded a third because her children had to travel every school holiday and again I agreed. I became like a puppet on a string doing only what she wanted.’ He concluded regretfully.
‘How many times do you go on family holidays with Mariya?’ I asked, and immediately his countenance changed, he seemed on the verge of tears when he said.
‘I have never been on a family holiday with Mariya and her kids. Before I married Sajah, it wasn’t a priority I had other things to worry about. When she came along and insisted, I had to start taking her alone, then with her kids and that was how it continued till I fell ill. I don’t think Mariya ever knew we were travelling abroad or if she did she never told anyone. She was so persevering I feel ashamed to remember all that I did to her.’ he confessed finally letting the tears flow.
‘Don’t be too hard on yourself, what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.‘ I said to him.
‘No, I was a horrible husband. I made Mariya a virtual prisoner. I didn’t treat her well neither did I set her free to seek happiness elsewhere. I only did what Sajah wanted. And she became more demanding with each passing year. I had to work harder, pursue all sorts of business deals, some not entirely lawful, in order to keep up with her taste. I created the Frankenstein Monster she became. But at the time I was driven by just one fact, the fear of losing her. Then in the last five years, my eyes suddenly opened. I became aware of the devious, selfish person she is, but it was too late to escape from her grip. Several times I will start walking towards Mariya’s apartment in order to apologise and make amends but halfway there I will turn back and abandon the idea. I couldn’t do it because if I did Mariya will think I was ready to normalise relations with her. Meanwhile I could never do that as long as Sajah was there. I kept wishing for the day our marriage will end somehow, but while I was still hoping I fell ill. But to be honest with you Tahir, in the last five years I have not been a happy man. In fact I was more of a miserable man. I have had sleepless nights wondering how to get out of my impasse but had no such luck. Then when I was diagnosed with TB she came out in her true colours. She accused me of being so careless as to contract such poor man’s disease etc. Then when she and her children tested positive, she became wild. Sajah screamed and hollered and said she always knew she will end up regretting her marriage to me. At such times I will look at her and compare with Mariya. I knew Mariya had never told anyone about my maltreatment because if she did, her cousin would have confronted me. You know I met her through her cousin Shehu who was my friend. He is a very outspoken person, if he had ever heard about her troubles he would have dealt with me. Only yesterday he was here to see me in hospital. He was his normal, jovial, self. I became quite convinced that he never knew a thing about our troubled marriage.
But here was Sajah, who had everything from our marriage, treating me like dirt because now I am ill. In many ways I know I deserve what I am going through because I see the hand of Nemesis in my current travails. I can only hope that God will forgive me in the end. Now that I am confined to my bed, I do nothing but seek his forgiveness day and night.’ He confessed, showing me his prayer beads.
‘I am very sorry to hear this, but you still have time to ask for Mariya’s forgiveness. She has certainly been an exemplary wife. But you can’t go against the laws of inheritance by disinheriting your other wife. What you can do is to give Mariya as much of your wealth as you can but no more than one third of it. Then leave the rest for them to share as Almighty Allah decreed in Suratul Nisaa’i.’ I advised.
‘Ok Tahir, I will do as you advised, but the help I need is that you oversee all the changes I asked my lawyer to effect in the ownership of my belongings. I have a number of foreign investments that I will want to be transferred in Mariya’s name. My company also goes to her. I will only leave the house we all live in and what is in my bank account for sharing as inheritance. My lawyer will be coming here to meet you soon. Please keep an eye on him and make sure he does everything according to my wishes. I have told him to print a copy of my instructions for you, so you can monitor them. I am very grateful to you Tahir, may Allah reward you for coming to the aid of a dying man.’ He concluded with a weak smile.